Customer Reviews

Ghana, 4th (Bradt Travel Guide)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Most Travel Guides just focus on the southern areas of Ghana, near Accra, Takoradi, Cape Coast and along the coastline. This book covers the entire country and every possible way of getting around.

For example, the Lonely planet's West Africa Guide did not provide information on how to get from Bolga to Wa. This book gave us the bus company, time and price of the trip. When arriving in Bolga we asked how to get to Wa and most of the people there were not really positive, but sure enough the book was completely accurate.

Another example was when we were in the Volta Region climbing Mount Afedzeto. There were no places to stay, but the guide says that if one asks for the Peace Corps on duty, that member will gladly give you a room. Sure enough we had a very comfortable place to stay for the night.

This book is well written and the best on the market. There is an incredibly helpful guide to the animals one will see in Mole national Park and a great general guide about how to get around and what to are "cultural taboos."

The author's writing style makes the book easy to read and allows you to know him well after only reading one section.

It is the only guide book that is fitting for such a diverse and delightful country.

This book is very detailed and helpful, the only problem is that much of the information has not been updated for quite some time. There are many places listed that are no longer in existance (restaurants, banks, etc) and many new places that are nowhere to be found in the book. It says it was updated in 2007 but I was in Ghana in early 2008 and most of these things I am referring to have been around (or not been around) for quite some time. Also, the prices mentioned in the book are about 50% lower than what can be expected when you go to Ghana, and perhaps even more given the rapid rate of inflation there; the prices of almost everything went up at least some amount during my 4-month stay there, from beach fares down to avocados at the fruit stands.

A few nitpicky details:

The book recommends against taking public busses without air conditioning (and therefore does not give schedules for them). However, on a tight schedule or budget (or even not) the non-air-conditioned busses are more than comfortable.

Also, the book says that a taxi ride to Mole National Park from Tamale should take about 2 hours (or 2.5, I can't remember). This is WRONG, it takes about 5 hours.

The fee to get into Labadi Beach was 2c on weekdays, 4c on weekends and holidays, not the .50c that the book cites. (This discrepancy is probably due to the general unreliability of prices/rapid inflation mentioned earlier.)

The book mentions Macumba nightclub as a popular place in Accra. I lived across the street from Macumba, and the only people for whom it is popular are hookers and the creepy men looking for hookers. To be fair, the book does allude to this. Other popular nightspots that aren't mentioned in the book include Cinderella's, The Office, Tantra, and Aphrodesiac.

Overall, the book is certainly the best on the market as far as Ghana travel goes, if not solely for the reason that it is the only book that I am aware of dedicated to Ghana and not just West Africa with a tiny section on Ghana. It provides reliable enough information to be able to get around the country, as well as valuable background information on Ghanaian culture and history. Travellers should simply be forwarned that not everything in this book can be taken at face value, and travel plans (and budgets) need to be flexible enough to accomodate for this fact.

In that this follows a number of other reviews of Philip Briggs' "Ghana--The Bradt Travel Guide" (second edition), there may be a "coals to Newcastle" aspect to my comments. I found the first edition, recommended by a Ghanaian friend, very helpful on a trip to Ghana in February of 2001. I've since bought the second (updated and expanded) edition, and find it as readable as the first, as well as continuing to give a reasonable level of detail about getting around, places to stay, and things to see. There are some pet items that in my view would have warranted mention, such as the universities in Cape Coast and Kumasi, but it's not reasonable to expect everything about a country to show up in 354 pages. Having worked in Ghana years ago, I was not starting from zero when picking up Briggs' book. I had also been checking with a few Ghanaian friends, and had been looking into websites. Maybe that's the main point to make: No single source of information, even a very good guidebook such as this one, can be entirely complete and up-to-date.

From the U.S., at least, your visa application may be your first encounter with Ghanaian bureaucracy. Unless you live close to the embassy in Washington or the consulate in New York, get started at least two months in advance. Once in Ghana, you'll need to get adjusted to some third-world realities. Those used to North American and European infrastructure and scheduling efficiency may have to remind themselves that things really will typically take longer, that power and water outages can be frequent, that transportation will not always be fully predictable, and that breakdowns should not be a surprise. Get on the road early whenever possible, make sure that you fill that bucket in the bathroom promptly on arrival, and keep a flashlight handy. Ghana is not, in short, the sort of "autofocus" vacation area that we may tend to expect, but instead qualifies as your "grittier, more economical, more authentic African experience". Keep in mind that if you have travelled all day and arrived somewhere hot, sweaty, dusty and grimy, that your initial impression of a destination will probably not be as favorable as it will be a day later, once you have had the chance to clean up, rest up, and get calibrated to the place. Ghanaians pointed out to us, and our experience verified, that transportation functions more efficiently in southern and central Ghana than it does further north, and one should plan accordingly. Philip Briggs' guide to Ghana will definitely help in that planning.

I was presented with this guide as a christmas gift a month prior to leaving for a six week journey through Ghana in 1999. I was thrilled to discover a more comprehensive guide book than those produced by Lonely Planet. Given time to compare notes before travelling it was only to my benefit to carry this guide. As with all guide books information tends to date quickly, therefore it becomes important to future editions for a traveller to make their own contribution to assist others on their journey. As a single female traveller in Ghana this guide book was an easy to use and essential tool, not only did it assist me but others I met along the way. I'd recommend this Guide to Ghana and any future editions to anyone.

Having been in and out of Ghana many times over the past ten years I would like to comment on this Bradt Guide to the country. During this past July and August I used this guide to travel along the coast, slowly, from Accra all the way over to near the Ivory Coast border. It took about a month of visiting many little villages, historical sites, and staying in small guest houses and hotels. I found this guide an excellent resource. A major part of the Ghanaian government tourist development plans relates to ecotourism. Developed with the aid of international agencies, this plan calls for protecting the environment while increasing tourism. New national parks are being developed and many over hunted animals protected. This Bradt guide is an excellent source for this new tourism. My only suggest is a personal one. I am a city person and if I were doing this guide I would expand the section on night life in Accra and Kumasi. There are alternative travel sources available. The Internet has a growing number of sites related to Ghana, Ghanaian culture and history, and current events. Using web based data along with this Bradt guide will provide any traveler with a great vacation!

If you are traveling to Ghana, West Africa, this is the essential guide to have with you. It has an easy to read layout and includes everything you would ever need to know. I highly recommend this if you are going to that area. I am glad I own a copy!

A REAL GEM ! ! !

I have been traveling to Ghana since 2003 and have been fortunate to have Mr Briggs 2nd and 3rd editions. Recognized as an obvious choice for anyone remotely interested in Ghana.

As a visitor, Mr. Briggs pulls no punches and has reliably scoped out this wonderful country. Visitors and natives alike appreciate his efforts.

I recommend that one does not leave home without it!

Steven Levin

The Travelinque Organization

Philip Briggs' book covers an area that is only covered elsewhere in West African regional guides and therefore fills an important gap in the market. It contains a great deal of useful general information and advice, and presents Ghana and Ghanaians as the welcoming country and people they are.

I visited Ghana for 6 weeks last year following a gap of 27 years since the 1970s when I lived and researched in the country for four years. This book ably brought me up to date with details on developments, accommodation, road conditions, the developing tourist industry, prices etc which helped to make my trip less daunting and much more pleasurable. There were a few gaps and points that needed up-dating in what was the first edition of the book, but key advice on the condition of roads, availability of accommodation was accurate and invaluable.

I would strongly urge anyone considering a trip to Ghana that will take them outside of Accra to equip themselves with this book and get the most from their trip. I would also urge them to go to Ghana before it becomes too much on the tourist trail so that they can gain a real understanding of the problems and pleasures of life in that country.

The second edition of Philip Briggs' guide to Ghana is a giant plus for travelers. It contains almost a hundred more pages that the first edition, covers new areas of the country, and includes internet links plus email addresses for hotel reservations.

So many new tourist related businesses have opened up in Ghana over the past few years that it is difficult to track them but this new guide does well! Of particular interest are the expanded sections related to the new hotels and restaurants located east of Accra along the coast, and to the beach areas in the far west.

The many, many excellent maps make this edition truly a handbook to be carried along. One can not pass without mentioning the near real-life photos. Looking at them you are almost in Ghana!

This is absolutely the best guide book for traveling to Ghana. I don't know how I would have gotten around without it. The Bradt guide covers all the regions of Ghana intensively with clear descriptions of transportation, accommodation, where to eat, etc. What makes this book stand out from the rest are the maps of small towns and villages that are detailed and very accurate.

With its tips on bargaining, prices, and cultural advice you can easily just step off the plane and plan your vacation straight from this book. I found while traveling around the back roads of Ghana for 6 weeks that my fellow travelers were constantly borrowing my copy. Even when I was in way out areas I was able to whip out my book and find places to eat and sleep.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who's planning a trip to Ghana, and especially if your trip is away from tourist areas. I suggest traveling away from the cities anyway. The rural areas are so much more traditional and untouched that I found it more enjoyable than the urban areas.